Egg roll

The old standby. Egg rolls are not just restricted to dim sum restaurants, they're everywhere. Along with fried rice, they just might be a symbol of Chinese cooking, but yet, it has been changed so much by Western influence that I personally don't consider it Chinese food any more. Oh well, my personal opinion. I like mine spicy, with vinegar dipping. Also, fry them longer for a crunchier egg roll.

Place a piece of egg roll skin on a clear surface. Put some stuffing at the middle and roll up the skin. Put some of the mixture at the edge of the egg roll skin. This will enable the egg roll seal tighty.

First, wash and slice the meat into small, thin strips or cubes. In a large skillet, warm up two tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium heat. Press and mince clove of garlic, then add to pan with a handful of the sliced green onions and the shoyu. Cook until garlic and onions are soft, then add meat. Cook to desired doneness and set aside.

Boil mung bean noodles (or vermicelli) according to package directions, drain, and set aside with an ice cube to cool(the ice cube will keep the noodles from sticking together too much). In a large bowl, combine cabbage, green onions, mushrooms, carrots, bean sprouts, meat mixture, and noodles. Leave the ice cube out if it hasn’t melted already.

In a large pot, pour two cups of vegetable oil(if the pot is extra large, pour more as needed – there should be approximately two inches of oil standing in the bottom) and set stove to medium low.

To roll each egg roll, position the wrapper so it is in a diamond shape with a point facing you. With a large spoon (or chopsticks if you’re feeling dextrous), place an amount about the size of a plum in the middle of the wrapper. Lay the sides of the wrapper over the mixture, then the bottom point, then roll it away from you. If rolled correctly, you should have a small flap – the last corner – above the roll. Smear this with a little peanut butter to seal egg roll closed.

Carefully place each egg roll into the oil to cook. Cook approximately 5 minutes to a side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels before serving.